Recipes

Chinese Barbecue Chicken

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

The slow cooker isn’t just for easy week night meals; it’s also great for busy weekends! When my friend and I get together or my mother-in-law is in town for quilting weekends we throw together a slow cooker meal before hunkering down in the “sweat shop” for the day.  (I like to tell my husband I’m “Super Wife” on these days.)

I served these with rice and fresh green beans. The leftovers were turned into sandwiches.

Chinese Barbecue Chicken

Ingredients:

  • 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 C honey
  • 1/2 C soy sauce
  • 1/4 C hoisin
  • 1/4 C blackberry jam
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 scallions, sliced

Steps:

  1. Combine honey, soy sauce, hoisin, jam, oil, and garlic.
  2. Place chicken in slow cooker. Cover with onion and sauce. Cook on LOW 4 1/2 hours.
  3. Remove chicken and shred. Pour the sauce in a saucepan. Mix together cornstarch with 3 tbsp water. Whisk into sauce and bring to a boil until thickened. Pour over shredded chicken.

*This recipe is adapted from Kelly at http://www.justataste.com/2013/09/slow-cooker-crock-pot-honey-garlic-chicken-recipe/*

Chinese Chicken

Chinese Chicken

Easiest Asparagus Ever

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

One of my favorite vegetables is asparagus. We probably have it once a week.

I have a funny story to share about asparagus. I was at the grocery store, bagging my asparagus and an old man struck up a conversation with me. He told me that he cooks his asparagus in a coffee pot! I haven’t actually attempted his creative cooking method, but I could see how that would work – it would steam the vegetable. Maybe?

Good friends of ours introduced this preparation technique to me and I have to say it’s the only way I do it now!

Asparagus

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb asparagus
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • S+P to taste

Steps:

  1. Snap off the end of the asparagus.
  2. Place asparagus in a microwavable dish. Break apart butter and distribute atop the asparagus. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with S+P.
  3. Cover asparagus with a damp paper towel. Microwave on high 4 minutes, or until tender but al dente.

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Grape Risotto

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

This post accompanies yesterday’s Red Pepper Pesto Crusted Tilapia. It is also a Nikki Dinki recipe.

Risotto is my favorite thing to cook. Risotto has the reputation of being very difficult and is presented as a fancy restaurant only dish. It takes patience (something I’m admittedly not very good at) and attention. It requires tasting. It requires you to immerse yourself in the process, to trust your hand when to add more liquid and when it’s done.

Rumor has it you must remain at the stove constantly stirring and tending to the pot of rice, but I’m here to tell you that’s not true. I’m not telling you to dump in some liquid and go take a bath, but you can relieve yourself from the wooden spoon occasionally. You can watch from the sidelines as the new addition of liquid bubbles and the rice absorbs the flavors being added to it. When you stir, do so gently and without repetition – I like to trace my spoon in figure eights, zig zags, and circles.

Making risotto makes me happy. Even though I don’t find it difficult to prepare, I still feel proud. Like I did something impressive. Like I could get famous off of this. (Oh, to dream)

Grape Risotto

Ingredients:

  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 C Arborio rice
  • 3 cans vegetable stock
  • 3/4 C parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 C sliced scallions
  • 1 C grapes, halved

Steps:

  1. Bring stock to a gentle simmer in a large pot.
  2. In a dutch oven, saute shallots and garlic in olive oil. Add rice and cook for a couple of minutes. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 C stock. Once the stock is absorbed by the rice, add in another ladleful of stock. Stir. Repeat the process until the rice is cooked and creamy. Season with salt, to taste.
  3. Stir in cheese, scallions, and grapes.

*This recipe is adapted from Nikki at http://www.nikkidinkicooking.com/home/pesto-crusted-halibut-grape-risotto.html*

Grape Risotto

Red Pepper Pesto Crusted Tilapia

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

My dream job would be to host my own show on Food Network. I know I have a long way to go and it’s something that will most likely never happen, but hey, that’s why it’s called a dream job.

Every year I watch Next Food Network Star. Spoiler Alert – I am very excited for this summer’s winner, Damaris, and her show this fall but I was drawn to Nikki Dinki from day one. This recipe, is one of hers. It’s very quick and simple to prepare and tastes incredible. I do not like Greek yogurt – I am not on the bandwagon – but I didn’t want to stray from Nikki’s recipe (I did have to switch the fish based on local availability though) so I gave it another shot. The Greek yogurt complimented the red pepper pesto perfectly. Mixing the panko with the pesto also provided a beautiful crust on top of the fish. I promise you this is a new staple in my kitchen.

Pesto Crusted Fish

Red Pepper Pesto Crusted Tilapia

Ingredients:

  • 2 roasted red peppers
  • 1/4 C pine nuts
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 shallot, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 C parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 C olive oil
  • 4 4oz tilapia filets
  • 1 C panko
  • 4 tbsp Greek yogurt

Steps:

  1. Make pesto: combine peppers, nuts, thyme, garlic, shallot, cheese, and olive oil in a food processor.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  3. Season fish with salt and pepper. Spread 1 tbsp of yogurt on each filet.
  4. Mix 1/2 C pesto from step 1 with the bread crumbs. (Or you could use store bought jarred red pepper pesto instead) Press onto each filet. Bake 20 minutes on a foil lined baking sheet.

*Both recipes are adapted from Nikki at http://www.nikkidinkicooking.com/home/red-pepper-pesto.html and http://www.nikkidinkicooking.com/home/pesto-crusted-halibut-grape-risotto.html*

Red Pepper Pesto Crusted Tilapia

Cucumber Water

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Once upon a time I had a very productive Sunday. I cleaned the kitchen and went to the grocery store. And when I got back from the store I washed and dried my produce before putting it in the fridge, I chopped up celery and carrots for the week’s lunches, and made cucumber water.

Thanks to Not From Concentrate and their pineapple water for inspiring me to make this water a post on Sew You Think You Can Cook.

Stuart first tried cucumber water on a business trip at a hotel – he became hooked. It’s now a refreshing beverage staple in my fridge.

Cucumber Water

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cucumber
  • pitcher of drinking water

Steps:

  1. Wash and peel cucumber. This is optional, but it’s pretty to peel the cucumber in stripes! Slice cucumber and put into a pitcher of drinking water.
  2. Allow cucumber to “steep” in the fridge an hour before removing the cucumber slices. (Stuart goes through water really quickly so I actually leave the cucumber in the water and get two pitchers out of each half of cucumber.)

Cucumber Water 1Cucumber Water 2

Healthy Chicken Tacos

~ lk529 ~ 3 Comments

Mexican Monday has been in need of a healthy make over. This recipe from Cooking Light is very simple, very quick and full of flavor. The chicken gets its smokey warmth from ancho chili powder and is accompanied by a bright, crunchy slaw.

On a side note, I picked up a package of organic free range chicken breasts for this dinner. They were considerably smaller than the chicken breasts I normally pick up – about half the size! These two breasts yielded 5 tacos. If I used the average antibiotic treated chicken I could have gotten 8 tacos. I am tempted to now pay a little more for organic chicken because the difference in taste was like night and day. I was surprised.

Healthy Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb chicken breasts, cut into strips
  • 3/4 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • zest of 1 lime
  • juice of 2 limes, divided use
  • 1/4 C sour cream
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 2 C packaged cole slaw
  • 1/2 C sliced scallions
  • 1/4 C chopped cilantro
  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • taco sized flour tortillas

Steps:

  1. Season chicken with chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, S+P. In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat cook chicken in olive oil until cooked through.
  2. In a blender, puree sour cream, milk, avocado, zest and juice of 1 lime. Mix until smooth.
  3. In a large bowl toss together slaw, scallion, cilantro, juice of 1 lime, and canola oil. Season with salt to taste.
  4. Assemble tacos and enjoy!

*This recipe is adapted from Maureen at http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/ancho-chicken-tacos-50400000111963/*

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Copy Cat: Almond Joy

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

After this month’s Crazy Ingredient Challenge, I had a lot of coconut in my house that needed to go! I decided to make Stuart’s favorite candy – Almond Joys. I thought it could be fun for him to take to the office, but this recipe didn’t make as many candy bars as I thought it would! I didn’t have enough coconut to make two batches either.

I ran into another small problem – apparently I’m a little challenged when it comes to dipping the bars into melted chocolate. They were not pretty. And definitely not food photography worthy. I am very pleased with the beautiful bars I did create by simply drizzling the chocolate over top the candy.

Copy Cat: Almond Joy

Ingredients:

  • half of 14oz can sweetened condensed milk (7oz)
  • 2 C powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • 2 1/2 C sweetened shredded coconut
  • whole salted almonds
  • 1 lb chocolate, melted

Steps:

  1. Stir together condensed milk and sugar until smooth – I found this to be best done by adding in the sugar in installments.
  2. Mix in vanilla and salt.
  3. Add in coconut – do this in one batch.
  4. Spread coconut onto a greased foil lined tray. Press into desired candy bar thickness. Gently score the coconut, outlining rectangles, with a knife and place two almonds onto each bar, if desired. Place in refrigerator for at least an hour.
  5. Cut candy bars along your previously suggested lines. Coat candy bars in melted chocolate. (Or give up on that and drizzle them like I did!)

*This recipe is adapted from Elizabeth at http://www.ohnuts.com/blog/almond-coconut-candy-bars-recipe/*

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Mom’s Mashed Potatoes

~ lk529 ~ 5 Comments

When I created my Recipe Index for the blog I realized that I haven’t blogged about any sides! How unfortunate. I never really think about them being important enough for their own post. But then I found myself scouring Pinterest and other food websites for side dish ideas. It’s harder than I thought it would be. It’s really not that easy to make a star out of your sides – unless it’s Thanksgiving! I’m going to declare it now – this first Thankgiving of my blog will be celebrated with a week of side dishes! Guess I better get cookin’! But I digress…

My first side dish post is one of my favorites. I don’t do mashed potatoes often, but when I do I always wonder why not. They’re just so comforting. This recipe is actually from my Mom. Well, I added chives for color (food photography is not easy!) and actually had to sit there and measure things out. We normally do this “by feel” but for food blog purposes, I needed to do more than say “add some sour cream”. So, here it is. This particular ingredient list yields 4 side helpings of mashed potatoes.

Mom’s Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

  • 2 baking potatoes (i.e. Russets)
  • 3 tbsp sour cream
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1/8 – 1/4 C milk
  • 1 tbsp chopped chives
  • S+P to taste

Steps:

  1. Peel and cut tomatoes into same size chunks – the smaller the cut the faster they’ll cook. In a pot cover the potatoes with cold water – you don’t need to fill the pot, fill about an inch above the top of the potatoes. Salt the water and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender.
  2. Drain potatoes and either return to the pot or put in a large bowl. Add butter, sour cream, and a little bit of milk. Using a hand mixer, mash until potatoes are smooth. Add remaining milk if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I like a lot of pepper in mine!) Fold in chopped chives.

Mashed Potatoes

Pecan Crusted Salmon

~ lk529 ~ 18 Comments

Ideally we have seafood once a week and I always have a package of salmon filets in my freezer. If I can’t get to the fish market or forgot to plan our seafood meal of the week this recipe is my easy go-to as I always have the ingredients on hand – and you probably do too!

An Original Recipe

Pecan Crusted Salmon

Ingredients:

  • 2 6oz filets of salmon
  • 2 tbsp Dijon or Honey mustard
  • 1/8 C chopped pecans
  • 1/8 C panko bread crumbs
  • 1/8 C shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Olive oil, for drizzling

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
  2. Mix together pecans, panko, and parmesan.
  3. Spread mustard over the flesh of each filet. Crust with pecan mixture, pressing down lightly to stick. (You may have some left over) Drizzle with olive oil.
  4. Bake 15 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.

Pecan Crusted Salmon

Update May 2017: While this electronic update is occurring end of February 2018, these updated photos are from May 2017! This salmon recipe is so simple and an easy weeknight dinner it’s on our relatively regular recipe rotation. (It’s hard to really have a set recipe rotation when you’re a food blogger – even a casual food blogger!) This salmon pairs well with any vegetable side dish your heart desires.

Pecan Crusted Salmon | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com

Chorizo Mac and Cheese

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

I have another chorizo pasta combination for Mexican Monday. And although it makes quite a few more dishes and requires more ingredients than my previous Chorizo Carbonara, I am addicted to this one.

When I day dream about this dish – yes, I actually do this – I get hungry. The leftovers are even just as delicious as when it first comes out of the oven. And I’m not very big on leftovers, pastas in particular always take on a new rubbery texture, but not these!

There are also so many ways you could change this up and make it your own: use a different meat product, add peppers or chilies for heat, serve alongside guacamole, salsa or sour cream for extra creaminess with each bite. Is it time to eat yet?

Chorizo Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

  • 2 C uncooked macaroni noodles
  • 1 C shredded Mexican cheese
  • 1 C shredded pepper jack cheese
  • 1 tsp of corn starch
  • 1 C milk
  • 2 links Mexican chorizo, casings removed
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1 heaping tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp bread crumbs
  • olive oil, for drizzling

Steps:

  1. Cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  3. In a bowl, combine cheeses and corn starch. Set aside.
  4. Warm milk in a small sauce pan over low heat – do not bring to a boil.
  5. Brown chorizo in a sauce pan – breaking it up like you would ground beef. Add in onion and cook until translucent. Sprinkle in flour and stir. Slowly add in warm milk, stirring after each addition. It will begin to turn into a beautiful pale orange sauce. Melt in cheeses a handful at a time, stirring. Mix in drained cooked pasta.
  6. Pour pasta into a greased casserole dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs and drizzle with olive oil. Bake 25 minutes.

*This recipe is adapted from Elise at http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chorizo_mac_and_cheese/*

Chorizo Mac and Cheese 2Come join Mac and Cheese Mania at Nutmeg Nanny and Rachel Cooks sponsored by Door to Door Organics and OXO!